Q&A: Is Baby Oil A Good Lube for Dilators?

Hi Sh!,

I have ordered a set of the Sh! dilators and I just wanted to ask, is there a lube that I can buy to use with them? I currently have the hard plastic dilators so I just use baby oil with those, but is there one I could buy which won’t affect silicone? I've had candida so many times and I think this is due to my dilating.

Also, will the lube affect me getting pregnant? Thanks for your help!

Hello,

Thanks for getting in touch - these are great questions, and we think many will be interested in the answers.

The plastic dilators recommended by so many health professionals are horrible, and we hope you'll find ours easier to use. The Sh! silicone dilators are flexible with tapered tips for easier insertion. The set comes with a vibrating bullet you can use before or during dilation. Hopefully, this will bring pleasure to a process that can be very dull.

Sh! Vaginal Dilators with bullet vibrator for relaxing tense muscles during Vaginismus dilating

You'll notice that the Sh! dilators aren't as big as the plastic ones, but once you feel ready to move on to something bigger than Number 4, let us know and we'll help you find something suitable to use.

Lube for dilators

The Sh! Dilating Kit comes with a few sachets of water-based lube that are both vagina-friendly and silicone-friendly but essentially, you can use any water-based lube you like.

We recommend a lube that is a little bit more viscous as it'll help with the dilation (especially if there's pain involved). Sh! Pure Plus lube is water-based and free from scent & flavour, so a perfect partner for the silicone dilators.

Baby oil is not a lube

We don't recommend using baby oil inside the vagina. Baby oil clings to the vaginal membranes and traps bacteria. This tends to bring on bouts of Thrush or BV - this is likely the reason for the Candida returning.

Ban baby oil from the bedroom and stick with water-based lube (the best type of lube for dilators) - the lady garden will feel much lusher in no time!

Generally, lube isn't sperm-friendly, as it alters the vaginal pH. If you are actively trying to conceive, you need a bottle of sperm-friendly lube like System Jo Actively Trying. This lubricant creates a healthy vaginal environment for sperm. It has optimized pH levels that mimic the alkaline balance of semen and fertile cervical mucus. JO Actively Trying is compatible with sperm, oocytes and embryos.

Best of luck!

Love,

Team Sh! xx